Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Side view of creamy mac and cheese sauce on pasta shells. Extra sauce drips down a jar behind the bowl of pasta.

The Easy Vegan Mac ‘N’ Cheese Sauce You’ll Crave

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Kathryn Alexandre
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 700 ml 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This vegan mac & cheese sauce recipe is so creamy, so tasty, & so easy. The secret to the creaminess… cashews! Dairy-free creamy & cheesy.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for 15 mins in boiling water
  • 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth (homemade for extra savings)
  • 1 cup soy milk (or plant milk of choice)
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • optional: 1/2 tsp vegan butter (or more to taste, smoothes out any starchy flavour)
  • optional: 3/4 tsp smoked paprika

*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!

Instructions

  1. In a heatproof dish or glass measuring cup, soak cashews in boiling water for 15-20 minutes.
  2. To really boost the flavour, saute the onion and garlic in a saucepan with a bit of oil, broth, or water. Season with salt and cook until onion is translucent and garlic fragrant; about 3 minutes. You can skip this step (I’ve tried!) but the sauce has so much more flavour if you saute the onion and garlic. 
  3. Add the soaked and drained cashews, sauteed onion and garlic, and all the remaining ingredients except the butter to your blender and blend until smooth. 
  4. Transfer the sauce to the saucepan you used for the onion and garlic and briefly bring to a very low boil so the starch is activated and the starch flavour dissipates. 
  5. Stir the butter into the sauce until melted and combined to smooth out the taste even more.
  6. Toss your sauce with pasta noodles and enjoy! Try it as our Jacked Up Mac ‘N’ Cheese!
  7. Store sauce in the fridge for 2-3 days (it could last longer, I just haven’t tested it) and reheat on the stovetop when ready to use.
  8. This recipe does make quite a bit of sauce so if using a 454g box of noodles it will be extra saucy (which we love!) but feel free to use more noodles, decrease the sauce slightly, or use any leftover as a cheesy drizzle on breakfast bowls, pizzas, burritos, veggies, or whatever tastiness you can dream up!

Notes

*Approximate Cost: CAD $5.77 ($0.82/100ml). Roughly CAD $7.56 with noodles. Using our easy homemade veggie broth brings the cost of the sauce down to $5.39.

*Making a simple, traditional mac & cheese sauce with ¼ cup dairy butter, ¼ cup flour, 2 cups dairy milk, and 2 cups cheddar cheese would cost us roughly: CAD $6.21. Resulting in a savings of about $0.45.

*A box of dairy-free mac and cheese would cost us roughly CAD $5.49 for 300g.

*Soaking the cashews is the only way to get them to blend down smoothly. You can soak them overnight (about 8 hours) in cold water if you prefer. And sautéing the onion and garlic really boosts the flavour. It’s worth it!

*For a nut-free sauce try our Extra Creamy Bechamel! Follow the note in the recipe for how to make it a mac & cheese sauce!

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Sauces & Dips
  • Method: Blender, Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://tastythriftytimely.com/easy-at-home-mac-and-cheese-sauce-youll-crave/